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On May 21, 1966, with a shovel of turned dirt, a 1957 dream began to
take shape--a dream of Kaw Dam and Lake.
Ten years later, almost to the
day, on May 22, 1976, Kaw Lake and Dam were officially dedicated.
 Setting
a precedent for future lake festivities was an energy-filled
celebration with a huge parade honoring the engineered restriction
of the Arkansas River that we know as Kaw Dam and Lake, as well as
the nation's bicentennial year.
On that spring day, Grand Avenue in Ponca City and Kaw Lake throbbed
with the color and pulse of Oklahoma's citizens.
Today, Kaw Lake boasts a rich array of activities, a unique
celebration of the past and the future. From eagle viewing to
mountain bike races, Christmas in July to professional jet ski
exhibitions, Kaw Lake delivers fun and festivity to Oklahoma
citizens and visitors alike.
Since the reintroduction of the American Bald Eagle to this area, 24
eagle nests have been built in Oklahoma and are occupied during the cold
winter months. One week-end every January, the Kaw Lake Association
hosts an eagle viewing event. Guest speakers provide eagle information
with special guest appearance by Sequoyah, a bald eagle resident of
Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville.
After the presentation, attendees caravan to eagle watching sites.
Below the Kaw Dam on the Arkansas River is a favorite eagle feasting
area and the eagles can be spotted all along the river basin. The annual
Eagle Watch is scheduled for the third Saturday in January.
The Tiny Miss Kaw Lake, Miss
Junior Kaw Lake and Miss Kaw Lake is held the first Saturday in May.
They are chosen for their poise, personality
and pizzazz.
KawFest is an annual event celebrating Kaw Lake and its surroundings.
A large assortment of food to please any palette
is available for purchase. One highlight of the event is the Team Bass
Tournament. A sand building contest brings out
participants' creativity as they shape their grainy structures. Other
water sports and shows, music, kid's activities, and lots of fun
highlight the wet, wild and shopping entertainment that marks this
event. KawFest will be held the second Saturday of June.
Red and green are the colors of July at the annual Christmas in July
Celebration in Kaw City. This year the event takes place Forth of July
weekend. A lighted
boat flotilla covers the surface of Kaw Lake with thousands of refracted
lights in this annual aquatic display and the sky mirrors the lake with
a spectacular fireworks show.
Kaw Lake is alive not only with its natural beauty but also with that of
its celebrations.
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NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing